Lola woke up to the alarm clock going off. She rubbed her eyes and stared at the wall opposite the bed. Melissa left yesterday after about an hour. She was in a hurry to leave and tossed a quick bye when she was already out the door.
Lola dreaded going back to school now, even if part of her was just happy to get out of the house. However, she wouldn’t have her best friend. A surge of determination blew through her, and she aggressively ripped the cover away.
“If I’m stuck here, I will sure as hell at least have my best friend,” she seethed as she pulled out the last shirt she had and a pair of jeans. She looked at her clothes, the little she had with her, and her head fell back in a desperate sigh.
She dressed and washed her face. She put her hair up in a high ponytail and grabbed her bag. Lola opened the door.
Lola walked with her head down to grab lunch. She looked around the cafeteria. The tables were filled with people, and in the crowd, she saw one familiar face. Melissa was sitting with some of the girls who also studied law. Their eyes locked for a split second before Melissa looked away. Lola kept her down, her eyes aimed at the food on her plate. One of the girls next to her looked at Lola and laughed. She turned to Melissa and said something that earned her a hard glare. The girl stopped laughing and turned around.Lola walked to the table where she and Melissa always sat together. However, she sat alone this time and looked at the empty seat.There was one person in the entire school who would sit with her, eat with her, talk to her, and now that person was gone. It only took a few days, but it was as though a whole lifetime had passed in those days.
Lola didn’t see Jax for the rest of the day. He wasn’t in any of her classes, nor did he show up to the seminar. After the professor had gathered their papers at the end of the class, everyone started walking out of the classroom.She turned her wrist and looked at the time. Jax was the one who drove her to school. If he had left, then she wouldn’t have a ride back, which gave her an excuse to stay away from the mansion.Lola stuffed her books into the locker and grabbed her bag. On her way out, she kept looking over her shoulder, hoping that she wouldn’t see Jax. She smiled when he was nowhere to be found and pushed open the doors to get out of the school. On the parking lot, leaning back against a car that looked far too expensive to be in the community college parking, was Ash.I would’ve preferred Jax.
The alarm clock rang, not that it needed to because Lola hadn’t slept for more than an hour after she nodded off. She was staring up at the ceiling with her phone lying on her chest. Clay’s message was still very much in the front of her mind and occupied her thoughts—his face when she first met him, the way his eyes glinted, and how he held his own with Jax. There was something curious about him, something she wanted to get to know.However, then there was the other part of her that wondered why she had caught his interest. She always kept her head down to draw as little attention to herself as possible, and people rarely showed interest in her.And, of course, the other little detail that kept being pushed aside but then rose like a tornado and sunk her heart was that she was married to a werewolf.* * *
Jax moved in and closed the distance between him and Lola. He reached out his hand and roughly gripped her chin. Her head was forced back, and her fingers wrapped around the edge of the metal table behind her.“What were you doing with him?” he asked again, slower, colder, and his eyes darkened more and more for each word.“We— We were having coffee.”Jax’s eyes flickered down to her lips, and they parted as though they obeyed his silent wish. His hand slid down around the back of her head, and he drew a deep breath. He leaned his other hand on the table, caging her in.“Lola.” Her name was the only word that he didn’t speak in pure anger.“Yes,” she whispered.“Cle
Clay’s teeth sunk deeper into her neck. His hand muffled any noises she tried to make, and her eyes stared at the ceiling as her vision blurred with tears. Lola closed her eyes and held her breath, thinking that this was when she’d die.“Lucien says hi.” He knew where she was. Clay knew who she was. She had tried to move on and put the nightmare behind her, but it followed her here, and now there was nowhere to run.She felt the burn as he pulled his fangs out. Clay leaned back his head, and his tongue dragged over his teeth. “Holy shit,” he moaned, and the taste of her blood engulfed his senses.Lola’s hand came up to cover the wound, and she pressed herself back. Clay cupped her face in his hands and leaned down. “Don’t worry, Lola, I&
Jax’s fingers were fisted in Lola’s hair, and he slightly tugged her head back. His lips hovered over hers as he allowed her a breather before he once again claimed her lips. He grabbed her waist, and in one swift motion, he had her pressed against the wall. His hand slid under her shirt, and his fingers dug into her waist as he felt her warm skin.Lola’s lips parted. Their tongues caressed against each other. Her body heated with lust, and Jax’s hands were unwillingly taking it slow and easy as they slid up against her front.She dragged her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer to her body. He leaned down and kissed her neck. His tongue slid over her collarbone, and he pressed a kiss on her shoulder. He looked at her neck. His wolf was stirring within him, wanting to mark their mate.He knew he couldn’t,
“Lola.” Jax’s voice had changed. It didn’t make her relax as it had before. His eyes weren’t the ones she had seen when they were in the bedroom, and his face was contorting in anger.Lola gulped and raised her head. She turned to Ash, who stood on Clay’s other side. He was quietly witnessing the cold exchange.“Your mate is the reason the vampires are returning to Wild Cliff. This town’s plague is on her hands, and yet,” Mrs. Blackwood said and flicked her tongue. She clasped her hands in front of her body and walked in a circle around Lola. “We haven’t figured out why,” she continued. “But something tells me that this young man carries the answers to all of our questions.” She pulled out a small, finger-long knife from under her sleeve. In a quick, swift motion, she plunged it into Clay’s ch
Jax drove down the underground garage and parked.The mall was only open for a few more hours, but everyone was out of school and work now, which meant it would be packed.They walked through the garage, the smell of fuel and metal more prominent than anything else. On the escalator, they saw a little girl holding a balloon, asleep in her father’s arms.Lola smiled and looked lovingly at the girl’s closed eyes and pouted lips.“This way,” Jax said when they reached the first floor. He turned around the cotton candy stand at which Lola looked and drooled. Her favorite thing about the mall, whenever she came with Melissa, was the food.Further down, they had a stand operated by an older man who sold caramelized almonds. That was the first thing Lola b